1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to methods for the production of baked goods and articles of manufacture and molds for use in said methods.
2. Background
The majority of the molding systems producing baked goods today comprise a two piece mold with a female lower half and a male upper half. In some cases, the female lower half is made up of two halves—for example, a female ice cream cone mold is usually made up of two halves as can be seen U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,355 to Haas. Typically, the molds are heated and remain heated to a temperature that is sufficient to bake the material deposited in the molds within a certain time period without burning the material.
As the product is baked, water or other liquid in the mixture is turned into steam or other vapor that must be discharged from the mold to allow for proper formation of the final product. This is typically accomplished through vents in the mold apparatus. As an unintended result of having vents for vapor or steam to escape, excess material is also typically ejected from the cavity of the mold via the vent. The venting of excess material causes significant waste of both raw materials and energy. Loss of raw materials, a significant cost in the manufacturing process, can be in excess of 20% to 30%. Similarly, to compensate for the loss of material, additional material must be added to the mold which requires additional energy for baking, also a significant expense in most processes.
Further, additional steps must also be added to the manufacturing process for removal of the excess material from the baked product to produce the final product. The vents are usually trimmed and/or sanded and then disposed of along with the excess material. Moreover, the trimming process itself can cause defects and thus increase the probability of rejection of the final product. Finally, if vent wear occurs, the entire mold may have to be replaced or additional material added to the mold because vent cross-section is an important component in controlling how much material is vented out of the mold apparatus.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved molds and methods for use of said molds for the manufacture of baked goods that allow for venting of vapor produced during heating or baking without substantial loss of material.